Chapter 22: Zijing
“Mm, this should be the way. Once we cross this area, we can reach the upper level of the fortress.”
“Ah, we’ve finally arrived. That’s great!”
“Rysket, you’d better let us properly rest later. Everyone’s exhausted.”
…
…
Under Rysket’s guidance, the girls gradually made their way towards their destination – the fortress’s living area. This area not only had hot water to relieve fatigue but also plenty of pre-cooked meals for everyone to enjoy.
As such, the girls were somewhat impatient to relax.
However…
Just as the group was about to reach the security door of the isolation passage, a patch of pitch-black mist slowly appeared again.
This mist was very dense and carried an indescribable, eerie power—Lonis, terrified, tensed her tail, while Komoe, walking at the forefront, exclaimed in surprise:
“Uwaah, everyone be careful… This is, this is Zijing’s power.”
“Zijing?!”
…
Among all the girls, the Eight-tailed Fox reacted the most noticeably. This was because she had encountered Zijing before and knew her fate—that purple-haired girl seemed to have been killed by Jeyuri in a mutual destruction.
Now, did she still have a chance to salvage everything?
(No, now is not the time for me to alter causality. I should observe from the sidelines.)
…
After all, the Eight-tailed Fox was experienced. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
And right before the eyes of the girls, a petite figure slowly appeared.
“Not bad, are you? But this final trial isn’t that easy, you know?”
“!”
She wore a pitch-black robe with gilded engraved designs, making the girl look like a royal knight from the depths of the night, possessing a hint of mature charm.
However, in reality, this girl’s build was only around 1.5 meters tall, not even as tall as Komoe. A cascade of deep purple hair slid down her pointed ears, making her look dashing and handsome, full of a self-assured demeanor. But the most eye-catching thing was the sword in her hand.
A pitch-black weapon, like nothingness itself.
This black sword was opaque, faintly exuding an ominous aura… Lonis had seen a similar weapon in another girl’s hands.
Eluscia.
Before she had obtained the Rainbow Abyss Power, or when she wasn’t using it, Eluscia often wielded that dark black blade. Although there was a subtle difference in their auras, that similar temperament remained unchanged.
Therefore…
…
“Oh… so my Annihilation Sword’s previous owner was actually Zijing?”
“E-Eluscia?”
“Interesting. I’ll show my own skills and meet this girl too.”
…
…
As soon as Eluscia finished speaking, she summoned the pitch-black Annihilation Sword from her hand.
The pitch-black shadow sword also stole the surrounding brilliance… Upon seeing the gray-haired fox-eared girl’s weapon, Zijing revealed a surprised expression:
“Annihilation Sword… in your hands? No wonder you have the ability to lead all heroes.”
Although this was Zijing’s first meeting with the girls, she could already tell that this “weak yet
cool,” “adorable yet black-hearted” fox-eared girl was everyone’s leader and captain.
“Mhm, thank you for the compliment, Senior Zijing. Are you standing here to battle us as a trial?”
Although not entirely convinced by Zijing in her heart, Eluscia’s tone was very polite.
“That was originally the case, but if two Annihilation Swords from different times were to fuse, they might directly destroy this entire fortress.”
“…”
“I don’t want to expose my trump card too early, so let’s switch to regular hand-to-hand combat? Without weapons or magic power, attack me as you please. If you can defeat me, you win.”
Zijing put away the Annihilation Sword, standing tall and proud.
This attitude undoubtedly showed a bit of disdain for the girls… After all, Zijing was not a demon like Shanalil, and her body was so petite. How could she possibly be qualified to be their opponent?
Therefore, Zhisheng Luo’s brow furrowed, and she volunteered directly: “Senior, please let me go first.”
“Mm, be careful.”
…
If they were to rely purely on martial arts techniques, without using the Rainbow Abyss or demon powers, Zhisheng Luo would rank second among the girls.
This was because Zhisheng Luo had trained diligently from a very young age. She had sacrificed a lot to protect her hometown and the people around her.
As a result, compared to ordinary girls, her arms were slightly larger, and her body’s muscles were particularly angular. If not for her respectable B+ cup size, she might have been mistaken for a delicate boy.
…
Facing Zijing, Zhisheng Luo also assumed her stance—her opening move was her family’s ancestral martial art, Floating Sea Eight Forms.
This made the purple-haired girl raise an eyebrow:
“This opening… Are you a descendant of Luo Bei?”
“Yes, please guide me.”
…
Zhisheng Luo’s movements were swift and steady. Although she appeared to be floating in mid-air, her tiptoes never truly left the ground—legend has it that the Floating Sea Eight Forms was a profound martial art developed from combat at sea.
When cultivated to its peak, one could walk on the surface of the sea as if on solid ground.
“Take this!”
In an instant, Zhisheng Luo attacked Zijing’s flank—facing the petite girl who was shorter than her, she held back three parts of her strength, not wanting to harm her.
However…
Although Zhisheng Luo’s fist “hit” Zijing, the tip of her fist felt no resistance.
“Is… is that an afterimage?”
Zhisheng Luo’s eyes widened in astonishment because Zijing had completely vanished before her eyes!
Immediately after, Zhisheng Luo felt a chill on her shoulder! Although she instinctively turned to block, attempting to parry the incoming punch.
However…
That power was simply too immense.
Or rather, it wasn’t a power that a human could wield. Zhisheng Luo’s body was directly sent flying backward at high speed!
“Careful!”
In the nick of time, Lian Lan stepped forward and caught Zhisheng Luo in her arms, preventing the girl from suffering any physical injuries.
But even so, Zhisheng Luo’s eyes were filled with shock because…
…
“How… how could she be so fast? And I didn’t sense any magic power!”
Demons like Candelle, although physically strong, needed to channel magic power to enhance their attacks.
Yet Zijing’s attack was completely without any fluctuation—she hadn’t used any magic at all from start to finish.
Therefore, including Bai Ye and Lian Lan, the girls were all astonished by Zijing’s strength.
Only Isumi stood aside, silent and saying nothing.
She seemed to have figured something out but wasn’t expressing it… Seeing senior Isumi’s reaction, Eluscia seemed to understand something as she pondered.
…
“Zijing, huh… As expected, she’s a formidable opponent. Powerful even without the Annihilation Sword.”
“Then… then Eluscia, should we…”
“This fellow has likely fused with the last vestiges of life to stand before us. From that perspective, she’s already cheating.”
“The last vestiges of life? Then…”
Lonis also possessed the Rainbow Abyss Power and could try using Soul Counterattack. However, she didn’t know if that would be considered breaking the rules.
“No, it’s not good for Little Fox to go either. Lonis, have Bai Ye go.”
“Ah?!”
